Australia Comes Into Line With New Zealand On Supplement Ingredients

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The New Zealand natural product industry is delighted with Australia’s move to adopt New Zealand limits for levels of Selenium, Vitamin A and Niacin (Vitamin B3), eliminating a hurdle for New Zealand manufacturers of health supplements.

The Therapeutic Goods Association has announced it will accept New Zealand limits for Selenium, Vitamin A and Niacin (Vitamin B3) which is seen as a very positive move by the New Zealand natural products industry and highlights the move towards a joint agency agreement with Australia for health supplements.

As part of the move to establish the joint therapeutic agency to regulate medicines in Australia and New Zealand, the Australian regulatory body has changed permitted levels for these important nutrients where continued differences would create problems for the common market proposed between the two countries.

Australia will raise its permitted levels of Selenium from 26 micrograms to 150 micrograms.

Ron Geiger, Chair of Natural Products New Zealand, says this will abolish a major stumbling block for New Zealand manufacturers who have been permitted a daily maximum of 150 micrograms in New Zealand since 1985, but have had to reformulate for Australia’s five-fold level of this essential nutrient.

Australian permitted levels of Vitamin A will be raised to 10,000 International Units and Niacin or Nicotinic Acid (Vit B3) will now be 100 mg to align with New Zealand.

Ron Geiger said this was a good example of how the New Zealand and Australian health supplements industries are working closely together.

“The aim is to establish a platform that will increase the availability of tested and effective complementary medicines in both countries. Currently, there are over 16,000 complementary medicines listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, a considerable number of which are from New Zealand manufacturers who already meet the Australian requirements of Good Manufacturing Practice intended to be part of the joint agency agreement.

“People need to understand that the joint agency will increase the type, quality and safety of ingredients available to both countries.”

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